Decorated pilot named to head U.S. Naval Academy

WASHINGTON, June 6 (UPI) -- A decorated fighter pilot who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981 has been named to head the school, the Defense Department said Friday.

Rear Adm. Ted Carter Jr.'s appointment as superintendent must be confirmed by the Senate. He is currently president of the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

The academy in Annapolis, Md., has had its troubles in recent years. The current superintendent, Vice Adm. Michael Miller, was named after his predecessor left following a financial scandal.

Miller introduced cyberwarfare to the curriculum and supervised the building of a center for its study. But Miller was also criticized after three football players were accused of raping a woman classmate, only to have charges dropped against two while the third was acquitted.

After graduating from the academy, Carter attended the "Top Gun" Navy Fighter Weapons School. His career includes 125 combat missions and 2,160 carrier landings, a record for Navy pilots.

Carter commanded the Strike Fighter Squadron 14, the combat support ship Camden, the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, and the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.

He has received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and the Stockdale Leadership Award.